Car-coupling



(N0 Mo'del.)

C. S. PARK. l

` CAR GOUPLING.

Patented Aug. 22, 18'93- gm lilimllfj/ll/ll/u/p/ UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

CHARLES S. PARK, OF MONTAGUE, MASSACHUSETTS.

oAR-CouPLlNc.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters liatent No. 503,615, dated August22, 1893.

Application tiled May 12, 1893- .To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. PARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montague, in the county of Franklin and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention is an improvement in car couplers, and it has for itsobject to provide a car coupling device, automatic in its action withreference to the cars to be united, so that danger to life may to alarge degree be avoided.

It consists essentially of a draw-head, secured to a car body, with asuitable arrangement of spring or cushion contact, and, pivoted to saiddraw-head, a hook shaped catch or hold, provided with an arm extendingwithin a cavity of said draw-head, provided with a pawl pivoted thereto,which is arranged to drop into a slot provided for it, when said slot isopen, but which is kept free from said slot by a cam operated by a leverarm when it is desirable to have the cars separated.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a top or planView of a pair of my draw-head band couplers. Fig. 2- is a plan orbottom View of one of the couplings. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section ofone of the couplers. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 5-is a sectional elevation of one of the couplers looking into thedraw-head. Fig. 6 is a section of a modification.

Similar reference letters in the drawings indicate like parts in all oftheviews.

Referring to the drawings, A is the drawhead, hollowed out to allow offree play for the tail part of the hooked jaw ofV the coupling, andcurved out in its face to receive the pivoted hooked jaw of acorresponding coupling.

B is the jaw of the coupling, which is pivoted in the draw-head, atongue or tail-portion a, of which enters the cavity of the drawhead,the opposite end of said jaw being hooked shaped and provided with ahorizon- Serial No. 473,924. (No model.)

tal slot b and lateral to this slot a hole ZJ pro- 5o vided for a pin.The tongue or tail portion of the jaw B has pivoted to it a pawl c,which drops into a slot CZ of the draw-head.

Onv the under or upper side of the drawhead A, is a bifurcated tubularsocket e and secured in this socket, hinge-like, is a spindle f providedwith a cam g adapted to move when said spindle is revolved into theslotd of the draw-head. A lever arm i, a part of the spindlef, gives tosaid spindle the function of a 6o v crank. When the said crank is turneddown the cam contacts with the pawl c and pushes the latter up out ofthe slot d and unlocks the jaw. On top of the draw-head is an oset 7o,which bears normally against a fixed 65 portion of the car platform andserves -as a stop against the recoil of a spring.

D isaspindle, an integral part of the drawhead, provided with an oblongslot m, through which, and a pin the draw-head is secured to 7o the car.The spring suggested abuts between a shoulder formed at the junction ofthe spindle D and the draw-head A, and the pin passing through the slotm. The spring, When the cars come together, serves to modify the shockor impact in the movement to couple. In the horizontal slot b of jaw Bis loosely secured, by a pin fn, a link o, which is provided to open acorresponding pivoted jaw attached to a draw-head of another car.

The operation of my automatic coupling is as follows: I have beendescribing one of my couplers, but it is of course to be understood thata complete coupling will consist of two of these. In the jaw of eitherof the couplers is loosely secured the link, which fits loosely in thehorizontal slot b, held by the pin n. When one car moves toward anotherto be coupled with it, one of the hooked jaws being unlocked, the otherlocked, the ends of 9o the links will enter the cavities of thedrawheads and striking the tongue or tail portions of the jaw of theunlocked one will close the jaw of the unlocked one and the crank of thedraw-head holding the unlocked jaw being now turned the locking pawldrops in the slot in the bottom or top, or both, of the drawhead, andlocks it and the coupling is comit and lock the said jaw against lateralmove.

ment, as and for. the purpose set forth. n

2. The combination with the draw-head de4` scribed, provided with aslot, a cam for 'unl 1ocking the jaw fixed on a crank rod pivoted tosaid draw-head, and the pvoted jaw provided With'the pawl pivotedthereto, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with the draw-head, formed as described, the jaw andthe pawl pivoted thereto, of a link confined to said jaw, with suitableplay, whereby when said jaw, locked to position, andlink are approachinga corresponding jaw, said link may perform the function of closing saidcorresponding jaw by engaging the tongue or tail piece `of said jaw,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in Ypresence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. PARK.

Witnesses M. E. PARK, E. L. GRAVES.

